Keanu Reeves has had an incredible Hollywood career. After making his acting debut in the 1981 sitcom, the actor got his first opportunity for the big screen in the 1986 film Youngblood. He continued to star in the movies and became popular for playing characters like Neo in The Matrix and John Wick in the action thriller franchise. Over the years, Reeves has become one of the most successful and highest-paid actors in the industry.

Keanu Reeves

However, having a great career also includes a number of things and projects that do not go as planned. And the Speed actor also has some films that were unable to make it big, and his character in the 2000 mystery thriller is also among his projects that were unable to win over the audience.

Keanu Reeves’ Most Ruthless On-Screen Character

The 2000 film The Gift features an ensemble cast including Keanu Reeves, Katie Holmes, Cate Blanchett, and J.K. Simmons, among others. Directed by the renowned filmmaker Sam Raimi, it follows Annabelle Wilson, who has psychic abilities looking for a young socialite who mysteriously disappeared.

Keanu Reeves as Donnie Barksdale

Reeves portrays the character of Donnie Barksdale, which was a big surprise for the audience. He has had the reputation of the good guy in films, mostly portraying protagonist characters, and was rarely seen having violent characters like Donnie in the movies.

However, unlike his previous characters, Donnie Barksdale was horrifying and despicable. Barksdale’s awful nature includes abusing his wife Valerie, using as much as possible hate language, and being a blatant racist. It is also believed that such dialogues might not even get through censors nowadays.

Cate Blanchett in The Gift (2000)

His behavior towards Cate Blanchett’s character also raised eyebrows as he did not like her and did every possible thing to make sure she stayed away from his wife. Although people did not like Donnie Barksdale, Reeves did a great job in the film, and the part is also considered his most ruthless character of all time.

How Keanu Reeves Prepared For His Character in The Gift?

The Gift received a 57% critic score as critics described the film as “not a must-see film” but also added that one could give it a shot. And it wasn’t able to make it big at the box office either. The film grossed $44.5 million at the box office. Although Keanu Reeves’ character was not beloved among the audience, it is believed to be one of the best performances in the film.

A still from The Gift (2000)

And the actor shared how he prepared for his role in the movie during an interview. He shared that he has not had a similar experience as Donnie Barksdale, so he went to see “psychologists who deal with spousal abuse.” The Constantine star also shared that he was able to relate to his feeling, which could be “powerlessness,” and “self-worth.”

And he was able to personalize those feelings and portray the character on screen. Reeves also shared that he had an amazing experience working with Sam Raimi and Cate Blanchett and called his co-star a fantastic actress.

The Gift is available on Paramount+

Source: Collider